Anxiety While Quarantined
2021 is here but most of us are still trying to recover from 2020. Between COVID-19 and the news, it’s only natural for some of us to fall into stress and isolation. Something that I have always struggled with from time to time is anxiety.
I initially thought that moving into a new home and getting a remote job would help better my anxiety. I thought to myself “Yes!, I can now spend more time with my husband and kids and take care of my health.” Those are all good things to think about, but we still can not forget about our life style habits while at home and about our social life. Those are all constantly going through our minds.
When it comes to dealing with so much at a time while cooped up in a house, I like to stay task oriented. It’s important to have balance in your life. I would typically do laundry on Sundays and every other Friday is when I go to the supermarket. Adding tasks into your calendar as simple as what you’re going to eat or cook for the day will help you keep track of what you have accomplished and keep you going.
One common poor choice most people make when we have anxiety is drinking caffeine. Caffeine and sugar can worsen anxiety by giving you the shakes, speeding up your heart rate, and making you very hype and irritable. Caffeine intake for someone with anxiety can lead to panic attacks, and even a heart attack. I worked with a lady that struggled with anxiety. She would drink coffee every morning and would sweat and breath very heavy to the point where I was really concerned for her. I thought she would eventually have a panic attack so I recommended she see a doctor right away. Anytime she drank coffee her mood shifted and she would get easily upset with others.
Alcohol is a temporary sedative to anxiety. At first you may be like “Yes, this glass of wine or drink calmed me down,” but then the next day you feel like pure crap and hate life. I am not saying to not drink completely, but if you do please do so in moderation. Especially do so if you have pre-existing medical problems. You can also get panic attacks during a hangover. I have experienced that once and it was a nightmare.
An important factor with trying to overcome anxiety is establishing healthy routines. These routines can consist of a consistent bedtime. Make sure you put your phone away at at a specific time every night so you can sleep enough to enter REM sleep. This will better help you wake up more calm and relaxed in the morning. Coming from someone who suffered from sleep deprivation I know how important sleep is for us. Take a shower and drink Chamomile tea before bed and maybe read a book, this is a way to let your body know its time to relax.
Another important factor is eating breakfast, lunch and dinner. I know that sounds cliché, “like duh we need to eat.” But trust me it happens. We skip meals thinking “ugh my anxiety has me nauseous so I don’t want to eat.” Doing this will make you feel even worse and will make the anxiety take over more. Make time for yourself and have a mental break even during work. (And I don’t mean scrolling through your phone.) I mean turning on a candle and taking a shower to revamp your energy. You must also take healthy eating habits into consideration. Soda and junk food can worsen your anxiety and make you feel lazy and sluggish. I am not saying you need to eat clean all the time just more times than not. Also try to drink a lot of water in between your meals.
Now lets talk about Vitamins. I love the Ritual Vitamins. They give me energy and they don’t make me nauseous when I take them. I used to have mood swings, and feel bloated all the time. But since I started taking them 2 years ago I’ve been feeling better and don’t go a day without them. Ritual are made of vitamin K2, vitamin D3, vitamin B12, boron, iron, vitamin E, magnesium, folate, and plant-based omega-3s which are all the essential nutrients your body needs which is why they are easy on the body.
Exercise is my least favorite activity, but hey it definitely helps calm anxiety. Meditation is great too but everyone is different. Exercise like cardio helps get the blood pumping and heart rate going. If you’re inside, jumping jacks and Zumba can help decrease anxiety so get moving.
Intimacy helps decrease anxiety as well. The reason is that when you have an orgasm is sends serotonin, which is a pleasure chemical, into the brain. It helps relieve tension, headaches, and stress as well as anxiety.
Daily healthy routines are beneficial. If you are day drinking, on social media all day long, laying around 24/7, and just over all hating life right now I completely understand. There is just so much going on in the world, some of us are probably just shutting down from time to time, but we need to remember that those habits are just making your anxiety and sadness increase. Remember no one is going to save you. Healthy routines like getting up on time, going to bed on time, exercise , decreasing your time on social media to talk to a friend or family member, just over all healthy habits must all come from you. Once it does you will see the difference.
